A puzzling mosaic trying to piece itself together: Maii and Zeid’s new EP Ehdefni

Ehdefni (Throw Me) is a new 11-minute EP from Maii and Zeid, a collaboration between Egyptian singer-songwriter Maii Waleed, 29, and Lebanese music producer Zeid Hamdan, 41. Their fourth official release opens a brief window to the evolving soundscape of the duo, who have been working together sporadically amid other projects since 2010, when Waleed split from Alexandria-based metal band Massive Scar Era to pursue a solo career. With her current band Ritza, founded in 2015, Waleed is now exploring deep experimental post-rock sounds with members from PanSTARRS and El-Manzouma.

Maii and Zeid continue to weave together layers of electronic rhythm and dreamy indie-pop, the respective sounds in dialogue with one another, creating an effervescent and sometimes humorous atmosphere with an unmistakable dark side. The lyrics, written and sung by Waleed, do not overpower the music. While often repetitive and sometimes puzzling, Waleed’s voice delivers them with dry, vogue melancholy in melodies that ring on even after the sound stops.

Firan Tagarob (Lab Rats) starts with speedy electronic rhythm, provided by Hamdan, which along with the syncopated foundation, creates synth sounds desperately trying to break out, expertly mimicking the concept and feeling of entrapment. Waleed’s dreamy voice emerges as the rhythm finally opens up, paving the way for a more light-hearted melody as the song unexpectedly shifts into their familiar indie-pop. Firan Tagarob, parts of which feel like Radiohead’s newer works, establishes the soundscape in which Ehdefni exists; its style of rhythm and synth recur in different variations throughout the EP.

The second track, Ehdefni (Throw Me) slowly builds up, culminating in a confident finale about strange words and voices in constant conflict. It too has a rhythmic pattern that seems on the verge of evolving into guitar-based indie-pop, but this time is stuck in a loop unable to free itself. “Don’t take my voice away from me,” Waleed sings, claiming this as a space to talk freely as the distorted electric guitars catch up and take over again.

Mourib (Suspicious) is the catchiest, most accessible and playful of the four songs. For the first time, Waleed’s lyrics and voice are at the forefront — “If you have a secret, go and tell it to a friend” — complemented with a bittersweet melody, closer to that of the duo’s previous work, Moga. Neither singer nor producer dominate, but instead seem to reach out to each other.

The final song, Nadini, could be seen as a short epilogue, preparing us to exit the EP: It is a melancholic snippet from the soundtrack from last year’s Barakah Meets Barakah by Saudi director Mahmoud Sabbagh, a romcom that fits naturally into the framework of Maii and Zeid's sound. Nadini is a slower, less busy track similar to the music of Arcade Fire, focusing on Waleed’s vocals, but feels detached from the rest of the EP.

Ehdefni is too short to let us explore the extent of Maii and Zeid’s full development, but they seem to be leaving behind their signature easygoing stance to assert a new, more experimental direction, juggling genres and more diverse rhythms. Ehdefni takes time to grow on you — you will probably  need to listen to it more than once to grasp its musical language and structure.

The EP was released on Soundcloud under the umbrella of Hamdan’s Lebanese Underground label.